Optimizing performance of autonomous vehicles

Abstract

Optimizing performance of an autonomous vehicle (AV) includes acquiring information pertaining to a plurality of factors associated with the AV. The plurality of factors includes a route to be traversed by the AV for a ride, a type of a road included in the route, a real-time location of the AV, a time of travel, and a weather condition at the time of travel. An optimal configuration is selected based on the acquired information for operating components of the AV. The components are configured in real time to operate at the optimal configuration. When the components operate at the optimal configuration, a power consumed by the components is reduced and a durability of the components is increased relative to when the components operate at a first configuration that is different from the optimal configuration.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for optimizing performance of an autonomous vehicle (AV), the method comprising:
 acquiring, by an AV configuration device of the AV, information pertaining to a route to be traversed by the AV for a ride, a type of a road included in the route, a real-time location of the AV, a time of travel, a duration of the ride along the route, and a weather condition at the time of travel; 
 selecting, by the AV configuration device, from a set of configurations associated with the AV, a first configuration to operate at least a speed controller that controls and limits a speed of the AV and an air conditioner of the AV, wherein the first configuration is selected based on the information acquired pertaining the route to be traversed by the AV for the ride, the type of the road included in the route, the real-time location of the AV, the time of travel, the duration of the ride along the route, and the weather condition at the time of travel; and 
 configuring, by the AV configuration device, the speed controller and the air conditioner based on the selected first configuration, wherein a power consumed by the speed controller and the air conditioner operating at the first configuration is reduced relative to a power consumed by the speed controller and the air conditioner operating at a second configuration in the set of configurations. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information is acquired, by the AV configuration device, from one or more sensors of the AV, and a server in communication with the AV. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the weather condition includes at least one of an amount of daylight or a type of weather, at the time of travel. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information is further acquired pertaining to a speed constraint associated with the road, a traffic condition associated with the road, a road condition of the road, and a user preference provided by a user to configure the speed controller and the air conditioner of the AV. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information is further acquired pertaining to a three-dimensional map of the route. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first configuration is selected to further operate a processor of the AV, one or more sensors of the AV, an entertainment system of the AV, one or more head lights of the AV, and one or more tail lights of the AV. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more sensors correspond to an image sensor, a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor, an infrared sensor, a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a durability of the speed controller and the air conditioner operating at the first configuration is increased relative to a durability of the speed controller and the air conditioner operating at the second configuration. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information is acquired, by the AV configuration device, from a different vehicle that is in a communication range of the AV and is travelling along the same route as the AV. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising configuring, by the AV configuration device, a location sensor of the AV to switch-off based on the selected first configuration and after acquisition of navigation information pertaining to the route to be traversed by the AV for the ride, wherein a power consumed by the location sensor operating at the first configuration is reduced relative to a power consumed by the location sensor operating at the second configuration. 
     
     
       11. An autonomous vehicle (AV) configuration device in an AV for optimizing performance of the AV, the AV configuration device comprising:
 circuitry configured to:
 acquire information pertaining to a route to be traversed by the AV for a ride, a type of a road included in the route, a real-time location of the AV, a time of travel, a duration of the ride along the route, and a weather condition at the time of travel; 
 select, from a set of configurations associated with the AV, a first configuration to operate at least a speed controller that controls and limits a speed of the AV and an air conditioner of the AV, wherein the first configuration is selected based on the acquired information acquired pertaining the route to be traversed by the AV for the ride, the type of the road included in the route, the real-time location of the AV, the time of travel, the duration of the ride along the route, and the weather condition at the time of travel; and 
 configure the speed controller and the air conditioner based on the selected first configuration, wherein a power consumed by the speed controller and the air conditioner operating at the first configuration is reduced relative to a power consumed by the speed controller and the air conditioner operating at a second configuration in the set of configurations. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The AV configuration device of  claim 11 , wherein the circuitry is configured to acquire the information from one or more sensors of the AV, a server in communication with the AV, and a vehicle that is in communication with the AV. 
     
     
       13. The AV configuration device of  claim 11 , wherein the weather condition includes at least one of an amount of daylight or a type of weather, at the time of travel. 
     
     
       14. The AV configuration device of  claim 11 , wherein the information is further acquired pertaining to a speed constraint associated with the road, a traffic condition associated with the road, a road condition of the road, and a user preference provided by a user to configure the speed controller and the air conditioner of the AV. 
     
     
       15. The AV configuration device of  claim 11 , wherein the first configuration is further selected to operate a processor of the AV, one or more sensors of the AV, an entertainment system of the AV, one or more head lights of the AV, and one or more tail lights of the AV. 
     
     
       16. The AV configuration device of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more sensors correspond to an image sensor, a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor, an infrared sensor, and a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) sensor. 
     
     
       17. The AV configuration device of  claim 11 , wherein a durability of the speed controller and the air conditioner operating at the first configuration is increased relative to a durability of the speed controller and the air conditioner operating at the second configuration. 
     
     
       18. A method for optimizing performance of an autonomous vehicle (AV), the method comprising:
 acquiring, by a server in communication with the AV, information pertaining to a route to be traversed by the AV for a ride, a type of a road included in the route, a real-time location of the AV, a time of travel, a type of weather at the time of travel, a duration of the ride along the route, and an amount of daylight at the time of travel; 
 selecting, by the server, from a set of configurations associated with the AV, a first configuration to operate at least a speed controller that controls and limits a speed of the AV and an air conditioner of the AV, wherein the first configuration is selected based on the information acquired pertaining the route to be traversed by the AV for the ride, the type of the road included in the route, the real-time location of the AV, the time of travel, the duration of the ride along the route, and the weather condition at the time of travel; and 
 transmitting, by the server, the selected first configuration to an AV configuration device of the AV, wherein the speed controller and the air conditioner are configured to operate at the selected first configuration by the AV configuration device, and wherein a power consumed by the speed controller and the air conditioner operating at the first configuration is reduced relative to a power consumed by the speed controller and the air conditioner operating at a second configuration in the set of configurations. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the information is further acquired pertaining to a three-dimensional map of the route, a road condition of the road, a speed constraint associated with the road, a traffic condition on the road, and a user preference provided by a user to configure the speed controller and the air controller of the AV. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 18 , wherein a durability of the speed controller and the air controller operating at the first configuration is increased relative to a durability of the speed controller and the air conditioner operating at the second configuration.